Make Your Own Herbal Tea

BY ADINA STEIMAN

Defrost with endless cups of DIY tea, made from whatever you have in your kitchen.

Think herbal tea is only an option after you’ve sucked down way too many cups of coffee? Think again. Herbal tea doesn’t have to be code for decaf. Take a cue from the French, who give it an entirely different (and fancy-sounding) word all its own: tisane. What’s more, they know you don’t need to bother with store-bought teabags—you can make herbal tea from plenty of ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

Here’s what you need to know to DIY your own:

YOU CAN TURN ANY HERB, CITRUS FRUIT, OR SWEET SPICE INTO TEA

Making DIY herbal tea doesn’t even require a teabag. Just break off a 2-inch branch of a fresh herb (basil, thyme, mint, or rosemary are especially good here), a couple strips of citrus zest (removed with a vegetable peeler), or whole sweet spices (like cardamom, cinnamon, or clove) into your mug. Then pour in just-boiled water and steep for a few minutes, stir in a bit of honey if you like and start sipping.

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MAKING YOUR OWN BLENDS IS EASY

A simple tisane made from a couple strips of lemon zest is pretty delicious all on its own, but you’ll also want to start experimenting to make combinations. Pro tip: Herb/citrus combos and citrus/spice combos work especially well.

USE UP YOUR ODDS AND ENDS

That leftover bunch of herbs that are starting to dry out in the fridge? Use it to make tea. That leftover half lemon in your fruit basket? Same deal. In fact, slightly dried herbs and citrus usually intensify in flavor (see below for more on that).

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CREATE A HOUSE BLEND YOU CAN SIP ANYTIME

Once you find the combination of herbs, citrus, and/or spice that you love, you can make a big batch of your tisane mix to brew in a tea infuser anytime. Just lay out your combo of ingredients on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and let dry overnight. In the morning, the mix will be nice and crackly—perfect for crumbling into pieces and storing in a resealable jar for a fresh cup of DIY tea whenever it’s cold out.

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PHOTO BY CHELSEA KYLE, FOOD STYING BY ANNA STOCKWELL